Heaven's Garland
by willian
Summary: [City of Angels] He was struggling on how to face death, She taught him how to live life…
1. Driving Away

**Author's Note: **This is a totally different story from the movie but there's a parallelism in the plot outline.

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_For he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways. _

_Psalm 91:11 _

_If some people really see angels where others see only empty space, let them paint the angel…_

John Ruskin 

_I have seen a thousand times that Angels are human form, or men, for I have conversed with them as man to man, sometimes with one alone, sometimes with many in company. _

_Emanuel Swedenborg _

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Chapter 1: Driving Away 

For quite sometime, I've been giving this a serious thought. I've been doing a thorough planning. I can't believe that now, at this very moment I am finally putting the plan into action. I am in fact and in present, driving away from it all.

You would never believe the adrenaline rush of speeding along in a black sedan, from the busy city streets of Flintville to the tranquil province of Green Palm.

I am quite literally leaving my life behind. I can almost taste the freedom…Although I probably won't get to enjoy that for long. It's even possible I won't get to enjoy that at all. The thing is: I'm dying.


	2. Breathing a Moment

And finally here I am---lying on the sand of Green Palm Beach---breathing my newfound freedom with closed eyes.

Death was kind enough not to hit me before I reached my destination, the Green Palm Beach.

Now, the only thing I am wishing for is to be alone until my final day. Oh wait, will anybody even bother to look for me in the first place? Who am I kidding? I mean not having me around will only lighten things up for everyone right? I've been nothing but a burden to my family anyway. I've been battling with Leukemia for the past 17 years or should I say I've been loosing to Leukemia for the past 17 years.

I remember that time when I was 7, my teacher entertained this sick idea of having me participate in a school song presentation and guess what, right in the middle of the song, I went collapsing and pretty much ruined the whole presentation. Moments after I regained consciousness, I overheard some angry parents who were having this heated conversation. One of the kid's mom furiously blurted that sick kids like me should have never been accepted to the school in the first place. Another one said that her daughter had been practicing her solo for a month and thanks to me, her little sweetie didn't even have a chance to sing her solo part.

And then there was that time when I was 9 years old; I was darn stupid enough to ask the other kids, who were having a blast running around in the playground, if I could join them. The answer I got of course is a big NO WAY! One of the kids snorted, "Who would want a weakling for a teammate?" And all the other kids erupted into laughter.

Yeah, they were right. Who would want to be around a sick freak?

And so for a couple of agonizing years, I walked alone in the school corridor, eat by myself in the cafeteria; sit in one corner of the classroom…

I would never forget that time I was 12, I was sitting in one corner in a school dance watching the other kids let it all loose on the dance floor. And then these two girls came in. One of them muttered that they were late and that all the other boys were already dancing with somebody else. "No one's left for us!" she exclaimed in total dismay. And then her friend tried to be all funny by pointing at me and saying, "Look there's Ivan Walsh, he's still available." I watched the other girl vehemently shook her head saying, "Uhm no thanks, the collapsing dance move isn't really my thing!" and then they both burst out laughing.

When I was 13, my parents decided that I be home schooled instead. And I was since then. Thankfully.

I believe my mom's reason is that she thinks I might break a bone with the mere act of standing. My mom is very protective of me. Every 3 seconds, she would check on me, asking me if I had my injection which totally drives me nuts.

On the other hand, I believe my father's reason for deciding that I be home schooled is that it's a big shame for him to have a sick, weakling son. You see, he was a big-shot varsity basketball player during his time so you can just imagine how damaging I must be to his name.

I have a brother who's not really bad but I can't stand him just the same. I can't bear to see how he just have everything I've ever wanted. Mom gives him space, Dad's proud of him, he does well in school, he has friends, girls want to dance with him…

Oh wait, why am I dwelling on all these stuffs? These things are precisely the reason why I run away in the first place. Now finally, I am here, away from it all, away from the vicious world that sees me as nothing but the sick pathetic kid.

The doctor said that I wouldn't make it in 2 months.

And now, this is where I want to spend my last days in, the Green Palm Beach. And this is how I want to spend my last days, on my own. I thought if I reached this state I'd finally be able to welcome death with open arms. But at this moment, for some reason, I am still afraid of death. I don't understand it I mean my life has always been a living hell but I've always been afraid of death…terrified.


	3. Something Extraordinary

And then I opened my eyes.

There was this lady standing before me.

All right, I thought she was lovely in that white dress if you really want to know.

"Good day to you!" She greeted. "I'm Haley Arden."

All I managed to give in return for the warm smile she gave me was a big smirk.

Well you can't blame me for my basic dislike for people, can you?

"It's a beautiful day isn't it?" She said looking around.

I can't stand sunny people.

"Look I just want to be left alone," I said nastily.

"Now why would anyone want to sulk on a beautiful day?" she asked, sitting beside me.

"Beautiful?! What's beautiful about this day? It's just like any other day!" I exclaimed angrily.

"Oh no, it's not an ordinary day," she said with an unwavering pleasantness. "This is the first time we meet, the first time we came across each other. Now that's something extraordinary." And then she added something even crazier, "I've been waiting for you."

"Why the hell would you be waiting for me?!" I asked incredulously. "We don't even know each other."

She simply chose to change the subject.

"People very seldom rent beach houses nowadays. I see you'll be occupying unit One. It's great to have someone to share Green Palm Beach with," she muttered.

"Look you're obviously a very happy person and I, in case you haven't notice am totally not. We are completely opposites I don't think we can ever connect so I don't see the point of this conversation." I said getting up angrily and storming into my rented Beach House.

And then I slammed the door shut.

Ok. I guess I went harsh with her. It's just that I've reached that point where I feel that I can't bear to deal with people anymore. Plus her happiness is totally driving me nuts. I mean how can anyone be that positive?!

Oh well for some reason, I couldn't help sneaking a peek on the window.

She was no longer anywhere in sight.


	4. A Piece of Heaven Here on Earth

The following morning, I woke up to see a little garland hanging on my rented beach house's door.

Well I have a pretty good idea who that might come from. Unfortunately, surprise crap like that don't work for me.

And so I took the garland and threw it to the trash bin without really giving it any thought.

When I went out, she was there (waiting for me?).

"Hi! I see you've already taken in the garland I made for you," she said beaming.

"I'm allergic to flowers," I said thinking it was clever.

And then she laughed and said, "Hey that isn't original! I believe you borrowed that excuse from Han Ki-Joo. Lovers in Paris, I love that series!"

"Are you always like that?" I asked irritably. "Do you always persist on making a conversation with someone who's obviously not in the mood to talk?"

"What about you? Are you always such in a grumpy mood?" she asked me back.

And the thing is, even when she threw that kind of question, she still radiates that sickening pleasantness.

"Well yes!" I answered. "I am always in a grumpy mood and I have every reason to be grumpy."

"And why's that?" she wanted to know.

"Because I have to deal with annoying people like you!" I yelled before angrily walking past her and making my way to the shore.

When I was a few meters away from the beach house, I couldn't help looking back. But once again she was no longer anywhere in sight.

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I spent most part of the day walking around the marvelous Beach.

Well at least before I die, I got to do this. I got to explore Green Palm Beach on my own.

Hmm? I wonder where she is. What was her name? Haley, Haley Arden. I haven't seen her since this morning I yelled at her. Maybe she finally caught the drift and now she's getting off my case. I never wanted to admit it but I actually felt good that she tried to act all friendly with me. I mean that's something I feel that I've been deprived of all my life. But then again I know she was only nice to me because she doesn't know the fact that I am sore sick. I bet once she finds out about it, she'll start looking at me differently, the way how everyone sees me. I mean why would anyone want to be friends with a dying freak like me? Especially someone as beautiful as her?

And then I suddenly realized that I was actually gazing at her, yup, Haley herself. She was picking flowers (perhaps to make another garland) by the roadside. She turned around and saw me watching her. She smiled and waved at me. She was about to go over to me on the opposite side of the road without noticing a car speeding by.

On an impulse, I rushed to her and held her protectively in my arms to keep her from being run down by the car. And for a moment, we were holding each other closely with our gazes locked.

She was just maddeningly beautiful…

And then my full consciousness returned, and then I abruptly let go of her.

I thought she'd be shaking from fear or something but she actually smiled at me and asked,"Now why did you just save an annoying person?"

I can't believe it. She had a close brush with death and she could just make a joke out of it, just like that.

"Look, I may be Mr. Grumpy but I am absolutely not a fan of death," I said.

And then we started walking back to the Beach Houses.

"A common misconception about death is that it's a morbid, horrible thing. Death really shouldn't be dreaded you know." She said with all casualness.

I could only shake my head in disbelief.

"You're not about to tell me you're finding beauty even in death are you?" I asked.

"Well actually I am. Death is a beautiful thing." She said as a matter-of-factly. "Sure, it's sad to leave all your loved ones here but it's only temporary. Death is our birth to afterlife. Death is sort of our passport to heaven where there's no pain, just pure bliss."

"How would you know about that? Have you ever been there?" I shot sarcastically.

"Sometimes you don't have to experience it." She said looking straight at me. "You just have to believe. You just have to have faith."

"Oh please, don't start that crap with me," I snarled.

"You know what? You can experience a piece of heaven right here on earth, right at this very moment but the problem is you are shutting yourself from it," she said.

"You're not in the position to say that," I said, my temper rising. "You don't know a thing about me. You don't even know my name!"

"Oh yeah, I do," she said smiling. "It's Ivan Walsh!"

"How did you…" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"See? You're underestimating me," she said.

Ok. I thought she looked really cute with that playful smirk if you'd really want to know.

"You know what? I just saved your life. You should be thanking me instead of lecturing about all these heaven crap!" I pointed out rather angrily.

"Ok. Thank you Ivan for saving me," and then she added, "Now let me take my turn to save you."


End file.
